Tokyo: Japanese prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for the accused in the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, is currently on trial for murder and other charges at the Nara District Court. The 45-year-old has previously admitted to fatally shooting Abe at close range while he was delivering an election campaign speech.

According to Anadolu Agency, Yamagami has expressed that he held a grudge against the Unification Church due to the financial ruin his family faced as a result of his mother's substantial donations to the religious group. Prosecutors explained that Yamagami believed assassinating Abe, who had sent a video message to an event organized by a group closely connected to the church, would attract "attention and criticism" towards the organization. They further argued that Yamagami's challenging upbringing should not serve as justification for a reduced sentence.

The final ruling in this high-profile case is scheduled to be announced on January 21. The assassination had significant repercussions, prompting the government to launch an investigation into the Unification Church's practices of soliciting financially devastating donations from its members, which eventually led to its dissolution. Additionally, a law was enacted to regulate manipulative fundraising tactics employed by organizations.